Vehicle-spring.



P. WHEELER. VEHICLE SPRING. v APPLICATION 1 1mm ULY 5,1910.

1,013,577. Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

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- Inventor? rank Wheeler citizen of the United States,-

the bar turns upwardly andispivotally.

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FRANK WHEELER, OF ORANGE, CALIFORNIA.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

Application filed July 5, 1910. Serial No. 570,493.

To all 'whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK VVHEELER, a

residing at Orange, county of Orange, State of Cali fornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle springs and the invention is particularly applicable for supporting the frames of automobiles and similar vehicles ontheir axles. Theobject of the invention is to produce a spring having an improved frame which will obviate the use of flat springs or.leaf springs and which will give a high degree of resiliency.-

A further object of the invention is to construct a spring so that the downward movement of the vehicle body will be resisted with greater resilient force than the upward movement. i

The drawing shows the forwardv portion of the automobile frame in side elevation, a portion of the hood being also represented and showing one of my springs applied to the frame, the axles of the vehicle being shown in cross section. This. view is diagrammatic in character and the spokes and hub of the wheel have been omitted.

Referring more particularly to the parts 1 represents one of the side bars of the vehicle frame at-the forward end of the frame and adjacent to the hood 2. The

forward end of this side bar 1 isbent down-- wardly so as to form a pivot head 3.

In applying my invention I provide a spring frame 4 which comprises a pair of longitudinally extending bars 5 and 6, the

bodies of which form the long arms of double .bell crank levers, the adjacent ends of the side bars 5 and 6 being pivotally attached to an anchor plate 7 which is secured to the axle 8 by means of suitable clips 9 as shown. The bars 5 and 6 have short arms 10 and 11 which extend upwardly and between these arms 10 and 11 a compression spring 14 of relatively light character is mounted as shown. The bars 5 have downwardly extending intermediate arms 12 and 13 and between these arms 12 and 13 a compression spring 14 is mounted which is of relatively greater force than the spring 14. The forward end'of the bar 5 thrusts upwardly and is pivotally attachedto the pivot head 3 by pivot pin l5.v The rear end of pending shorter arms, the said bell-:1v

attached by a pivot pin 16 to a link 17 which link is suspended on a pivot stud 18 projectlng from theside of the frame bar 1 as shown. The pivot pins 4 which connect the bars'5 and 6 to the anchor plates 7' are juncture of the arms'lO and the arms 11 and 13 and may be secured rigidly in adjusted positions by means of check nuts 24 arranged as shown. By means of these adjusted stems the state of compression of the springs 14 and 14'" may be very nicely adjusted.

When the vehicle strikes an uneven point in the roadway and the body and frame tend todescend, the descent is resisted by the spring 14 and the resisting force increases of course as the frame approaches the limit of its downward movement. As the spring 14 returns to its normal position it may arms as first lengthen abnormally and the spring 14 may then be slightly compressed and resist the upward'movement of the frame and body of the vehicle. It should be understood that the ends of the spring 14 and 14'' are not attached to the studs. which support their ends and from this arrangement neither of these springs can be placed in tension, and furthermore, when one of the springs is in action the other is in a state of rest. In this way all of the downward movement of the body and frame is resisted by heavy springs, and the upward movement by light springs and these light springs oppose the action of the heavy springs in restoring the body to a normal position.

What I claim is:

A vehicle spring structure comprising an axle engaging member, bell-crank levers pivoted to the opposite ends of said axle .member, and each formed with long and short arms, their shorter arms extending below the axle, a load supporting compres- S1011 spring set between the ends of the delevers also having abutment arms extending above the axle, a compression rebound rial:

l'nent arm, while the other bell-crank lever spring set between said abutment arms, one In Witness that I claim the foregoing I bell-crank lever having integral spring seats have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th upon its depending short arm and its abutday of June, 1910.

- FRANK WHEELER.

carries adjustable spring seats upon its arms Witnesses: adapted to be tightenedagainst said springs F. D. AMMEN', s'ufliciently to prevent their displacement. EDMIUND A. STRAUSE. 

